Chocolate Banana Protein Soft Serve

Happy New Year!!! Well 2014 was full of a ton of interesting and exciting challenges; to name just a few I worked in one of my favorite bakeries and learned so much about cookies and pastries and pies (oh my), bought a new road bicycle, went to a ton of concerts, went wine tasting, backpacked the Channel Islands, backpacked my way through Mendocino National Forest, mountain biked in Salt Lake City, went bungee jumping, started graduate school, moved to Los Angeles, made new friends, cooked a lot, hiked a lot, painted a little…wow my life sounds so much eventful than it really is. I also wasted my fair share of free time sitting on the couch drinking cheap champagne and watching Hey Arnold.

Anywho, with the new year upon us, we all know that the number one resolution is to work out more. And I’ve got the perfect recipe to accompany this resolution! How is it possible to whip up a bowl of rich chocolate ice cream that has no dairy in it, no refined sugar, and packs over 6 grams of fiber and 30 grams of protein? That’s right, 30 grams of protein.

This homemade soft serve ice cream is made with frozen bananas, soymilk, cocoa powder, and almond butter. The nut butter I used (pictured above) is called Yumbutter. As the name implies, it’s super yummy…and it’s not just any nut butta’ either…it’s full of superfoods like chia and hemp seeds, goji berries, and coconut oil. On top of that, it has 6 grams of protein per serving, no refined sugar, and comes in a kewl little no-mess pouch you can easily bring on the go.

This ice cream is an extremely simple recipe; it requires no ice cream maker I promise. If I had one of those I would have to sacrifice rent for like a month. It’s on my christmas list every year and liiike, never makes an appearance under the tree. Sad face fa real.

Not only will this ice cream satisfy any sweet tooth you have and are trying to ditch as the new year comes around the corner, but all the protein and healthy fats will keep you fully satisfied. Netflix marathon after dinner, bring it on babeh.

Chocolate Banana Protein Soft Serve

Serves 1 (large portion) ~580 calories per serving

2 frozen bananas

1.5 T cocoa powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 scoops protein powder (I use a soy powder from Trader Joe’s that’s about 29g of powder and 26g protein per scoop)

2 T Yumbutter almond butter/peanut butter

3 T soymilk (or other nondairy milk)

sprinkles for garnish (optional)

Start with the bananas, make sure they are frozen pretty solid (they should be in the freezer for at least a day prior to making this).

Add all the ingredients into a food processor and give it a whirl. The consistency should be creamy but semi-frozen. If it’s too liquidy, add more banana and if it’s too thick, add more soymilk.

If void of a food processor, you may be able to make this in a blender! Pulse it a bunch and scrape the sides down frequently. You might wanna add more soymilk until it becomes more of a milkshake texture…and with a little TLC and pulse-button action, all of your ice cream fantasies can come true.

Top with rainbow sprinkles…because they make everything in life better. That is all. Going to hit the gym. BAI.